Celebrate love with the foods you love

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, nationwide chains and local businesses alike are beginning to announce their annual specials for the holiday.

From new flavors to discounts to extra reservations, limited-time offers are popping up around Oxford, giving us plenty of unique ways to celebrate February’s most romantic day.

For instance, why not start off your Valentine’s Day with a hot, fresh cup of coffee?

If you’re into chains, Starbucks is suggesting its Caffè Verona blend, something the company has long since called the “Coffee of Love.” Full-bodied, chocolatey and slightly sweet, this dark roast coffee is available in everything from whole bean to K-Cup pods.

You can also pick up one of Starbucks’ new 2022 Valentine’s Day cups, all of which are covered in hearts and exclusive to this year. The Plastic Reusable Cup with Hearts — the Valentine’s Day version of those reusable plastic cups we’ve all seen Starbucks peddling for years — even changes color when filled with a hot drink like the Verona blend!

If you prefer to support a local coffee company, however, why not check out the Oxford Coffee Co.? This year, they are once again offering their “Love at First Sip” Valentine’s Day blend — with flavors of chocolate, cream and berries, any coffee drinker with a sweet tooth is sure to love it.

This blend is also more flexible than Starbucks’ as it is offered in light, medium or dark roast; there are also plenty of different ways to order it ground or whole. Plus, Oxford Coffee Co. is delivering it for free through Feb. 28.

When dinner comes around, you have plenty of options there, too.

The Sorriso Gourmet Pizza Bar is a popular spot for Oxford date nights, and their Valentine’s Day reservations are filling up fast, according to their Facebook page. In fact, as of Feb. 8, the restaurant only had reservations left between 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and between 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the rest of the night completely booked. Walk-ins, however, will still be available; the restaurant will be open from 6-10 p.m.

Looking forward to Valentine’s Day, Sorriso staff also confirmed that they will have a special three-course menu for that evening — but to find out what’s on it, you’ll just have to visit!

Just a few doors down from Sorriso, the calzone eatery Doughby’s is also planning something different for Valentine’s Day. A special pink Valentine’s Day crepe will be making its triumphant return to the Doughby’s menu for the holiday.

Other restaurants and bars around Oxford will have specials on Valentine’s Day — not specifically because of the holiday, but because of the Monday on which it falls.

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For instance, O’Pub just started its $7 martini Monday special this week, applicable to select martinis only. Mac & Joe’s has boasted $1-wing Mondays for a while now. So if you’re not in the mood for something overly Valentine’s-related, but you still want something special, look no further than these two.

If you’re searching for something sweet to top off your Valentine’s Day, look no further than Graeter’s Ice Cream, the Eclectic Chic Boutique and Insomnia Cookies.

Graeter’s has a limited-edition “Cherry Chocolate Chip” flavor on the menu for February, which the website describes so as to be “like a frozen cherry cordial.” Of course, they’ve also got plenty of chocolates and Valentine’s Day-themed sweet treats in stock at the Oxford location.

The Eclectic Chic Boutique is actually located in New Jersey, not in Ohio, but they are currently offering Zoom workshops that can be taken from the comfort of your own home. It’s a bit of a hefty fee for college students — $30 just to take the workshop, plus an extra $15 if you want a DIY kit — but this adorable opportunity is unlike anything we have here in Oxford.

Eclectic Chic is offering two Valentine’s Day workshops — one to make cake pops on Feb. 11, the other to make chocolate-dipped strawberries on Feb. 12.

Finally, the company that is most catering to Valentine’s Day this year is, unsurprisingly, Insomnia Cookies. They have brought back their absolutely delectable red velvet cookies, loaded brownies and dippers. A single heart-shaped chocolate chunk cookie cake, also available in red velvet, is $24.

Then there are the Insomnia packs. From a hilarious “Singles Awareness Pack” to a romantic “Sweethearts Combo,” from their red-velvety “Vday 4+4 Pack” to the “Galentines Pack” of 12 cookies and 2 pints of ice cream that I may just have to buy for my friend group, Insomnia sure has brought the love for this Valentine’s Day.

In fact, all of Oxford has come out in full force to celebrate love with the foods we love. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day, Miami, and enjoy your food even more!

radwanat@miamioh.edu